Tails in the News
Rescued feral dogs ready for adoption
When the officers from the Bulverde Area Humane Society (BAHS) investigated a property on Stahl Road in March 2007, they had no idea what to expect. What they found were more than 30 neglected adult dogs and 25 puppies on the property being kept by an animal hoarder. Though the dogs were given food and water regularly, they were, for all intents and purposes, feral. BAHS volunteers decided to try to rescue all the puppies, including their mothers, and whatever adults appeared potentially adoptable. They ended up bringing 25 puppies and eight adult dogs to the shelter; the goal was to bring them back to health, domesticate them, and eventually, adopt them out.
“The woman who picked these dogs up off the streets had good intentions—she didn’t want the dogs to roam the streets or get hit by a car, but she took in too many and couldn’t care for them properly or spend any time with them,” says Kimberly Schneider, a BAHS volunteer who worked with the rescued dogs. “Hence they had to be rescued and rehabilitated.”
The shelter was already full when the 33 dogs arrived, so temporary outdoor pens were constructed. All the dogs and puppies were treated for hookworm and coccidia infections. And while the puppies were adopted out reasonably quickly, rehabilitating the adults was a larger challenge. The dogs had to learn to trust humans and to interact with them in a positive way; many of them had never had regular human contact. Volunteers hand fed the dogs, massaged them daily, and helped them get used to having collars and harnesses put on and removed. Now, more than six months later, the adult dogs are ready to be adopted out to their forever homes.
For Schneider, the rehabilitation of the dogs is a testament to the work of the shelter volunteers and employees. “Even dogs that come from the worst conditions—neglect or abuse or otherwise—can become loving, loyal companions,” she says. “Over the past months, it has been amazing to watch them change from suspicious to curious, from fearful to tentative, and from withdrawn to trusting.”
The BAHS is looking for new foster and forever homes for the rescued dogs. For more information visit BulverdeAreaHumaneSociety.com.
New coalition brings animal welfare groups together
The Alamo Area Partners for Animal Welfare (AAPAW) is a new coalition of animal welfare organizations that has formed in support of San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS). The goals of AAPAW echo those of ACS; it wants to improve the lives of animals in San Antonio by ensuring all adoptable homeless pets are found permanent homes, encouraging spay and neuter, and educating citizens about responsible pet guardianship.
Participating organizations include the ACS, SPCA of Bexar County, Responsible Pet Owners Alliance, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Veterinary Medical Association, Voice for Animals, Spay Neuter Assistance Program, Animal Defense League, Texas Federation of Humane Societies, and Citizens for Pound Reform.
For more information visit APPAW.org.
Mandatory rabies vaccine law challenged
A petition submitted to the Texas Department of Health Services (DHS) by is asking that the DHS give attending veterinarians discretion when administering rabies vaccines to pets. The goal is to allow vets to weigh the benefits of the vaccine against the potential for an adverse or fatal reaction from an elderly or sick animal.
Pet Wellness Update is a national group of concerned pet lovers who believe veterinarians should have a choice regarding the administration of rabies vaccines. Pamela Picard became involved with the organization after her cat Aimee became sick and a vet would not treat her because it had been 18 months since her rabies booster shot. Aimee had to be euthanized due to renal failure. In addition to veterinarians, many training and boarding facilities require pets to be current with their rabies shots, but do not allow for health-related exemptions. Picard is behind an online petition that currently has more than 600 signatures on it.
In 2003, the Texas Department of Public Health adopted a 3-year interval between rabies vaccinations for dogs and one year for cats, which brought state law into accord with recommendations to curb unnecessary vaccinations made by many veterinary medical schools and professional associations. Each individual community is still given the final decision about the interval for rabies boosters.
According to Picard, the Texas law is overkill. “Data show that there is no scientific basis for repeat rabies shots,” she says. “They do not enhance immunity or boost antibodies. Given the manufacturer’s labeling instructions are written in plain English, duration of immunity is proved to be considerably longer than one year and the risk to public health of granting such an exemption is less than miniscule, you’d think this provision would be a slam dunk.”
To learn more visit Pet-Wellness-Update.com.
